Frank tompkins



-(No Model.)

P. TOMPKINS.

GAR BRAKE AND STARTER.

No. 299,296 Patented MayZT, 1884 .2771,

:w I INVENTOR.

% ATTORNEYS.

lhvrrnn drains 'lPa'rn'n'r rricn.

FRANK TOMPKINS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CAR BRAKE AND STARTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 299,296, dated May 27,1884.

Application filed November 24, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK TOMPKINS, of the city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented a new and Improved Combined Oar- Brake andGar-Starter, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved car-brake,in which the energy of the car is stored by applying thebrake, whichstored energy can be used for starting the car.

The invention consists in the combination, with the front axle of a car,of a ribbed wheel mounted 011 the same, and sliding sleeves on the saidaxle, which sleeves are provided with ribbed disks adapted to engagewith the ribbed wheel, 011 which sleeves chains are fastened, which areconnected with an air-compressing piston contained in a cylinder, towhich piston a rack is pivoted, which can engage with a ratchet-wl1eelon the rear axle for the purpose of revolving the rear axle when thepiston is forced outward by the compressed air.

The invention further consists in two pivoted levers for pressing theribbed disks on the sleeves against the ribbedwheel, which levers havetheir outer ends connected with the brakeshaft by means of chains,whereby the outer ends of the said levers can be pressed together byturning the brake-shaft.

The invention also consists in parts and details and combinations of thesame, as will be fully described and set forth hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a car provided with myimproved combined car-brake and car-starter. Fig. 2 is a plan view ofthe underside of the same, parts be ing broken out and others shown insection. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail longitudinal sectional elevationof the clutching device. Fig.

4. is a side elevation of one of the ribbed clutching-disks on thesliding clutching sleeves. Fig. 5 is a side view of the ribbed wheelmounted on the axle.

On the front axle, A, of the car a ribbed wheel, 13, is mounted, whichhas an elliptical cross-section, the ribs extending from one side acrossthe rounded edge to the other, as shown,

and the said ribs being arranged radially.

On each side of the ribbed wheel Ba sleeve,

0, is mounted to slide on the axle in the direction of its length, eachof which sleeves isproa spiral spring, E, is held, the outer end ofwhich spring rests against an aperturecl disk, E, through which axle Apasses, which disk is provided with a flange, which prevents it frombeing pressed out of the inner end of the sleeve.

On the inner ends of the sleeves O curved annular flanges F areprovided, to the inner surfaces of which ribbed annular plates G- arefastened, which are curved in such a manner that they can fit againstthe curved sides of the wheel 13. The sleeves 0 pass through aperturesin two broad levers or plates, H, pivoted to each other at their innerendsthat is, beyond the axle A-thefront ends of the levers H beingsecured to two chains, I, secured to opposite parts of a disk or wheel,J, on the lower end of a brake-shaft, J. A cross-bar, a, pivoted to oneof the levers H, passes through a longitudinal slot or aperture in theother levcr. Thelevers H rest on the sleeves 0. Two chains or cables, K,are secured on the sleeves O, which act as drums, and are wound aroundthe same, the said chains having their rear ends secured to the innerends of a frame, L, having the opposite ends secured on the front end ofa piston or plunger, M, contained in a cylinder, N, held on the underside of the car, which plunger is provided at the inner end with arecess or aperture, M.

To the front end of the plunger or piston M guide-rods O aresecured,which are guided in suitable guide-apertures,0, in the upperpart of the vertical guides P secured to the under side of the car.

To the lower end of a head, M formed on the front end of the piston orplunger M, a rack, P, having inclined teeth in its upper edge, ispivoted. The free end of the rack P, which is at the rear end of thecar, is passed through a box or loop, 1?, held to slide verticallybetween two verticahguides, P projecting downward from thebgt tp nof thecar.

To the box or loop P a chain or cable, Q, passing over a pulley, Q, atthe rear end of the car, is fastened, which cable passes over the pulleyQ of a brake-shaft, It, on the front end of the car.

On the rear axle, A, a ratchet-wheel, S, is

inounted,with which the rack l? is adapted to engage.

The operation is as follows: If the speed of the car is to be checked,the sleeves O G are moved toward the ribbed wheel B by turning thebrakeshaft J in such a manner that the outer ends of the levers H willbe moved toward each other, the disks IE will be pressed against themiddle smooth parts of the wheel B, and the friction produced will besufficient to check the speed of the car to a certain extent. Then thelevers H are pressed nearer together, whereby the disks IE will bepressed inward, and the ribbed disks G will engage with the ribbed wheelB, whereby the sleeves G will be rotated by the axle A in such a manheras to wind the chains K on the said sleeves, thereby drawing the frame Lin the direction of the arrow a and compressing the air in the cylinderN. The speed of the car must first be checked by means of the disks E,as otherwise the ribs of the wheel B on the disks G might be broken ifbrought in contact when the car is going at full speed. The powerconsumed in compressing the air in the cylinder N-that is, in forcingthe piston M into the said cylinder-checks the speed of the car andfinally stops the same. If the car is to be started, the brake-shaft Rhas to be turned to wind the cable or chain Qon the.same,whereby therack P will be raised and will engage with the ratchet-wheel S. Then thebrake-shaft J is turned in such a manner as to unwind the chains I,secured on the disk J, thus permitting the springs D, acting on theforked levers D, to draw the sleeves-O from the ribbed wheel B, wherebythe said sleeves will be disengaged from the front axle, A. Thecompressed air in the cylinder N expands and forces the piston orplunger M outward in the inverse direction of the arrow a, and turns therear axle, A, in the direction of the arrow b, thereby driving the carforward. Then the rack P is disengaged from the ratchet-wheel S and thecar runs on in the ordinary manner. The plunger is provided with arecess, M, in its inner end, for the purpose of catching the air,preventing the escape of same, and forming a better cushion.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Iatent 1. In a combined car-brake and car-starter, thecombination,with a ribbed wheel mounted on the front axle, of slidingsleeves provided with ribbed disks adapted to engage with the ribbedwheel, means for engaging the ribbed disks with the ribbed wheel, aplunger or piston connected with the said sleeves and adapted tocompress air in a cylinder, a ratchetwheel mounted on the rear axle, arack connected with the piston and adapted to be engaged with theratchet-wheel on the rear axle, and of means for engaging the rack withthe said ratchet-wheel, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. In acombined car-brake and car-starter, the combination,witharibbedwheel mounted on the front axle, of sliding sleeves mounted on the frontaxle and provided with ribbed disks adapted to engage with the ribbedwheel, two pivoted levers through which the sleeves pass, a brakeshaftfor drawing the outer ends of the levers together and pressing theribbed disks against the outer faces of the ribbed wheel, springs fordrawing the ribbed disks from the ribbed wheel, chains secured on the.sleeves, a piston connected with the said chains, a cylinder inwhich thepiston works,a ratchetwheel mounted on the rear axle, a rack adapted toengage with the said ratchet-wheel, and means for engaging theratchet-wheel and rack, substantially as herein shown and described.

3. In acombined car-brake and car-starter, the combination,with a frontaxle, of a ribbed wheel mounted on the same, sliding sleeves mounted onthe axle and provided with ribbed disks adapted to engage with theribbed wheel, means for engaging the ribbed disks with the ribbed wheel,chains secured on the sleeves and connected with the piston M containedin the cylinder N, guide-rods O, projecting from the piston, theratchet-wheel S on the rear axle, the rack P, hinged to the head of thepiston, and of means for engaging the said rack with the ratchet-wheelS, substantially as h erein shown and described.

4. In a combined car-brake and car-starter, the combination,with thefront axle, of a ribbed wheel mounted on the same, sliding sleevesmounted on the axle and provided with ribbed disks adapted to engagewith the ribbed wheel, means for engaging the ribbed disks with theribbed wheel, chains secured on the sleeves and connected with thepiston M contained in the cylinder N, guide-rods O, projecting from thepiston, the ratchet-wheel S on the rear axle, the rack I, hinged to thehead of the piston, the rope or chain Q, secured to the free end of thebrake-shaft, the pulley Q, and the shaft R, on which the free end of therope is fastened, substantially as herein shown and described.

5. In a combined car-brake and car-starter, the combination,with thefront axle, A, of the ribbed wheel B on the same,the sliding sleeves 0,provided with ribbed disks adapted to engage with the ribbed wheel B,the levers H, pivoted to each other, the chains I, fastened to the outerends of the levers H, the shaft J, the wheel J, mounted on the shaft J,to which wheel the ends of the chains I are fastened,

the chains K, secured on the sleeves C, a piston connected with thechains and working in a cylinder, and means for revolving the rear axlefrom the said piston, substantially as herein shown and described.

6. In a combined ear-brake and car-starter, the combination, with thefront axle, A, of the ribbed wheel B, mounted on the same, the slidingsleeve 0, provided with ribbed disks adapted to engage with the wheel B,the pivoted levers H, the chains I, the shaft J, the forked levers D,pivoted to the car-bottom and passing into grooves in the sleeves C, andof springs D, for withdrawing the sleeves from the ribbed whee], chainsK, secured on the sleeves O, and of the piston connected with the chainand working in a cylinder, and means for revolving the rear axle fromthe said piston, substantially as herein shown and described.

7. In a combined canbrake and car-starter, the combination, with theaxle A, of the ribbed wheel B, mounted on the same, the sliding sleeves0, having end disks, F, the ribbed plates G, secured to the enddisks,-and means for engaging the ribbed plates G with the ribbed wheel13, means for operating an aircompressing piston contained in acylinder, and means for operating the rear axle from the said piston,substantially as herein shown and described.

8. In a combined car-brake and car-starter, the combination, with theaxle A, of the ribbed wheel B, mounted on the same, the sliding sleeveO, having ribbed end disks, thedisks E, held in the sleeves, the springsE for pressing the end disks against the ribbed wheel, and of means forengaging the ribbed disks with the ribbed wheel, means for operating anaircompressing piston contained in a cylinder from the sleeves on itsfront axle, and means for revolving the rear axle from the said piston,substantially as herein'shown and described.

9. In a combined car-brake and car-starter, the eombination,with thefront axle, of a ribbed wheel mounted on the same, sliding sleevesmounted on the axle and provided with ribbed disks adapted to engagewith the ribbed wheel, friction-disks held in the inner ends of thesleeves, springs for pressing the friction-disks against the middleofthe ribbed wheel before the ribbed disks engage with the ribbed wheel,means for operating an air-compressing piston from the said sleeves, andmeans for operating the rear wheel from the said piston, substantiallyas herein shown and described.

10. In a combined car-brake and car-starter, the combination, with acylinder and air-co1npressing piston therein, of means for operating thepiston, the rack P, pivotally connected with the piston, theratchet-wheel S on the rear axle, the vertical guides P secured to theunder side of the car, the box or loop P, sliding on the same, throughwhich box or loop the rack P is passed, and of means for raising thesaid box or loop to engage the rack with the ratchet-wheel S on the rearaxle, substantially as herein shown and described.

11. In a combined car brake and starter, the combination, with acylinder and air-compressing piston therein, of means for operating thepiston, the guide-rodsO of the piston passing through perforations inthe upper part of guides P", the rack P, pivoted to arm M of the piston,the ratchet-wheel S on the rear-axle, the vertical guides P theboxorloop P, sliding within the same, through which box or loop the rack]?is passed, and of means for raising the said loop to engage the rackwith the ratchet-wheel S on the rear axle, substantially as set forth.

FRANK TOMPKINS. Witnesses:

Oscnn F. GUNZ, O. Snns-wrex.

